Friendship and Love
by Gene-87
Summary: The time when Sora was separated from the party. But what if Matt decided to go solo to find her?


Disclaimer: I do not own "Digimon", nor any characters therein. This fanfiction was made purely for enjoyment of readers, and no profit whatsoever. I apologize for any inconvenience. Please enjoy.  
  
I don't even know which episode this is, but I do know what happened. It was the time when Digidestines were fighting DemiDevimon (If I got the right one. It's the vampire digimon) Or at least after they have beaten the main evil digimon of the digital island, and it's their second adventure. Not that they left the world, but they have crests now. Sora was missing, and the gang are looking after her. It's the part where Izzy found Sora's location by her crest.  
  
I altered the episode a bit, to make it something that came to my mind. Sorry if I'm wrong about any parts, I don't remember it too well. But I do some. Here it is. Please enjoy.  
  
FRIENDSHIP AND LOVE  
  
It was evening, and the gang rested after another day's trek. Tai, with the help of Goemon, started the fire, and with the rest of the kids, sat by the fire. The woods they were in was bright during the day, but it was dark at night, without much to see. So they decided to rest.  
That day, Izzy found Sora's crest on the map. They were close to her, but for some reason, every time they came closer, her crest seemed to be moving away from them. It's as if she was playing tag with them, as Izzy said.  
"I don't understand why she's doing this." Biyomon said, as she looked into the flame, which ascended to the sky, now beginning to be dotted with stars.  
"Perhaps she thinks we're monsters, or something." Tai said.  
"I doubt it." Izzy replied to his statement, "I don't see any hills around here, and seeing as how we are in a forest, I doubt that she could see us from so far away."  
"But why is she running?" Mimi asked, "It's as if she's running from us. I don't get it."  
".Maybe she doesn't want to be with us." Joe commented.  
".Why?" Tai asked him.  
"I dunno. Maybe.she wants to be alone."  
"Out here? Going out in a city is dangerous enough. But on an island full of dangerous creatures? I doubt that, Joe!"  
".Just speaking my mind." The guy replied, shrugging.  
"I worry about her." Biyomon said, with a sad tone.  
"Don't worry." Tentamon told her, coming up behind her, "I'm sure we'll find her. Right, Izzy?"  
"I don't know." The short boy replied, "It seems that every time we get closer to her, she runs away, as if playing tag, or something. It's really confusing."  
".Perhaps it's not Sora." Palmon said.  
"What?" Mimi asked, in surprise.  
".Perhaps someone.or something else got her crest.and is running from us."  
".But how could it get Sora's crest?" Biyomon asked.  
".Well." Palmon hesitated. She didn't want to sound pessimistic about this to anyone, save Biyomon.  
".What is it?" Biyomon repeated the question.  
"Well.perhaps she was.robbed.or."  
Biyomon's eyes widened.  
"Now, now! Let's not get too negative!" Joe interfered, and stood up in between them, trying to cheer up Biyomon "I'm pretty sure she's fine. Perhaps she's just."  
Everyone looked at him.  
".Um, scared."  
"Scared?" Izzy asked.  
"Yeah. Maybe she heard us coming, and thinks we're DemiDevimon's minions, and as she hears us, she runs."  
".How could you hear that far?" Tai asked.  
"Oh, that's easy." Joe told him, crouching down, and pressing the side of his head against the dirt, ".You see, if you put your ear against the ground, you can hear footsteps, or any other vibrations much better than you would have through air, therefore, she can hear us way over where she is."  
"." No one said anything, just looked at him.  
".She could have!" He tried to defend himself. But after a minute, sat down, defeated.  
"We need to make plans." Izzy breathed out.  
  
But there was one of them who didn't sit around the fire. The blond boy leaned against the tree, and listened to their conversation.  
"Hm." He muttered, and walked away from the campsite, into the woods, thinking.  
"What's wrong, Matt?" His faithful companion, Gabumon asked him.  
"." He didn't say anything.  
"Why don't you join your friends by the fire?" The blue furred digimon asked him.  
".I have to find Sora." He told him.  
"." Gabumon paused, ".Don't worry, I'm sure we will. We'll start going again tomorrow."  
"At the rate we're going, we'll never find her." Matt told him while looking down at the ground, his eyebrows lowered.  
"What do you mean, Matt" Gabumon asked him, in the same, friendly voice he always spoke.  
"We're going to find her.alone." Matt told him, while turning to him.  
"What?"  
"I'm leaving. I'm going to find her."  
"But why alone? Why not wait for others?"  
"At the rate we're going, we'll never find her. It's best we go faster, and solo."  
"?"  
"Sora seems to be running from us. I don't know the reason, but if we are to catch up, we better go faster, and silent."  
Matt paused for a bit.  
"You can transform to Garurumon, and we'll find her quicker."  
Gabumon hesitated.  
"But I can only do that to protect you."  
"Sora maybe in danger. I need you to do this."  
".But leaving others like this?"  
"We have to do it. I need to know why she's running."  
"Um."  
"C'mon Gabumon. We're in this together, aren't we?"  
"." The digimon paused, "."  
Matt looked at him. Never before did Gabumon disobey his order. But it wasn't that. They were good friends, and the two did what was needed. Matt was the leader, but the two agreed to go, just like two drops of water would flow down a leaf, without any resistance.  
".Well, I'm with you. Whatever you think is right, Matt." Gabumon said, with a smile.  
"All right." Matt returned the smile.  
"Gabumon.digivolve to."  
The process went on, and at last, the big wolf like creature stood before Matt.  
"Ready to go?" He asked him.  
"Always." The boy told him, and got on his back.  
  
No one ever noticed that Matt wasn't there. No one saw that him and his digimon fled the camp, and disappeared in the dark trees. Matt and Gabumon could disappear anytime, in such an environment. Matt didn't talk much among his friends, and was good in disappearing like that. Him and Garurumon raced through the forest, like a shadow among the rocks.  
"Say, old buddy." Garurumon asked him, as they sped by the trees, ".I hope you do not mind me asking."  
"Shoot." Matt replied, with air flying by his face.  
"Why such a rush to find Sora? It's not like you to go after someone like that."  
"." Matt paused, ".We're friends, and I need to find her." He told him.  
"." Garurumon didn't say anything. Matt was a mysterious character. Although he knew him well by now, there were some parts about him he didn't understand. But after all, he did own the crest of friendship, perhaps he was right. They raced on through the trees, into the direction they headed since Izzy found Sora's location.  
  
* * *  
  
They raced on all night. The trees seemed to dash by their eyes, and the leaves on the branches flew by their faces. They seemed to run forever.  
Garurumon was afraid if Matt had fell asleep, and could have fallen off him while dozing off. He, seeing that the path was straight, without any obstacles ahead, dared to look behind, to see that the blond boy's sharp, cold eyes looked straight in front of them, without looking elsewhere.  
Garurumon, assured that Matt was in no danger, turned his head toward the front. He wasn't very surprised that Matt was still awake. Ever since they became friends, Gabumon admired his determination. No matter what, save he was totally proven wrong, Matt didn't back down. And now, he kept himself awake, in search of his friend Sora. Ever since they met, Matt was a role-model, and an example to Gabumon.  
  
The two kept on going. They didn't know where they were, nor what time it was. They were as a wolf and the hunter, this time allied, only knowing one thing, to find their prey, and nothing in the world could hold them back.  
"Do you think others are worried, old friend?" Garurumon managed to say, as they passed a big rock.  
".All worries will stop, when we will find her." Matt replied, still looking forward.  
  
The duo went on for hours more. It seemed as if the forest would never end. Was Sora alive? And where was she? Garurumon was beginning to worry. But Matt was too. But the two knew that they had to find her, so there was no time to fall in despair.  
  
They didn't know for how long they rode. Shade of faint orange began to appear between the trees, where once the dark black of the night covered the sky. Dawn began to break. But the two kept on going.  
".Hrrrrhmmm." Garurumon grumbled within him.  
"What's wrong?" Matt asked him.  
".Something.someone is here.." The giant-wolf-like digimon told him.  
"Stop." Matt whispered him instantly.  
Garurumon slowed down. Matt looked around, in completer silence, carefully inspecting the ground and area about them. He then hopped off Garurumon.  
"Stay here." He told him, quietly. His friend nodded in agreement. Matt then turned, and vanished in the woods.  
  
He walked through the grass with utmost caution, making sure that every step was as silent as the forest. Always did he keep an eye about him, and watched if his friend was there. He walked and walked.  
All of a sudden, something sounded from the right of him. A twig snapped. Matt turned, and then ran towards it with all the speed he could put into his legs.  
The snapping and crushing of the grass began to sound more and more repetitive and louder from the direction, and now, turned into running footsteps. Hunter had found his prey.  
The figure ahead of him kept on vanishing and reappearing between the trees. Matt knew who it was, and did not plan on backing down. He ran with all his might, and lost no distance between her.  
But the girl kept on running from him. She didn't give up either. What was her reason for this? Her will to escape was just as big as his motivation to catch her. Sora was just as fast as him. But seemed more tired for she walked many distances. Yet, she didn't slow down.  
Matt kept on running after his friend for several more minutes, until they reached a meadow, with a big tree, and a big formation of rocks on the side. Matt saw as the girl with red hair, and her blue, helmet-like hat ran across the meadow.  
As she ran by the rocky ground, she tripped, all of a sudden, and fell on the ground with her face in the grass.  
Matt caught up to her.  
"Sora." He told her, worried, as he crouched near her, and grabbed her shoulder, ".Are you all right?"  
".No." She replied, with a weeping voice, and began to get up, ".Leave me."  
".Sora, what's wrong?" He asked her.  
"No!" She tried to get up and run away, but Matt caught her by the arm.  
"Sora, what's wrong? Why are you running?" He asked her, grabbing her other arm, and turning her so he could face her.  
"." She said nothing, with her face lowered. Matt could see tears coming down her cheeks.  
"Sora." He breathed out.  
".Biyomon." She weeped, ".Is she.all right?"  
".Yeah." Matt said, loosening his grip, "She's fine."  
Sora gave a quiet breath of relief, but still seemed to be sad.  
"Sora." Matt let her go, "What's wrong? Everyone's worried sick about you."  
She stood in front of him, knowing that she couldn't run. She just looked at the ground, with tears on her cheeks. She has been running for days now. Why did he come here? Why did he have to catch her like this? Didn't he know it was all her fault?  
".Sora." Matt told her, softly, "I won't force you to do anything. Just please tell me what's wrong."  
She looked at him for a second, then down to the ground again. There was a long pause, as she got herself together, and thought about what to say.  
".Biyomon.it's all my fault.it's all my fault she's getting hurt like that."  
".What do you mean?" Matt asked her.  
"Didn't you see? DemiDevimon tried to get me, and Biyomon protected me.but she got hurt.she almost died.I can't just let that happen!" She looked at him.  
".But it's her job."  
"I don't care!" She cried, "She's getting hurt, and it's all my fault."  
"It's not your fault!" Matt protested, "It's Biyomon's job to protect you! It's her life, her duty! We're fighting this evil, and surely accidents do happen, but it doesn't mean that you run away like this. She's worried about you."  
"How can you say this?!" She yelled, "Don't you know what feelings I have for her? She almost died that time! And I can't bear to see it, and know it was because of me! I don't care what happens to me, I care about what happens to her!"  
"." Matt paused for a second.  
"So leave me alone. I don't want Biyomon hurt." Sora backed away, and stopped. She turned and looked down. ".I don't want her hurt.she's my closest friend.even if I die, at least she will live and don't have to worry about me anymore."  
She then started silently crying again.  
Matt stood there, not knowing what to say. After she yelled at him, most of his willpower was focused on getting back at her with anger, as he lost his temper most of the time, or came close to it. But now he truly understood Sora's pain. He knew that she was playful, and had determination to do things. But Matt also knew what love Sora had for Biyomon. She was a loving person herself. No wonder she had the Crest of Love. She deserved it. There was nothing he could do, if he was set on getting her back with this harshness.come to think of it, he was wrong about it.  
But what about his crest? Was it not the one of Friendship? Was he that right now? If he'd yell at her, would that truly show his friendship. .But even if it wasn't that.Matt still knew Sora as a good friend, and didn't want to harm her. All of a sudden, different feelings rushed into him. They weren't aggression and anger, as what he usually felt in an argument. But now it was pity, and compassion, which he wanted to express to his friend. There was something else.something very gentle and warm he felt for Sora. Something about that pitiful and weeping form just couldn't let him walk away or yell at her. He felt guilty for what he did. But now, he had to make her feel better, not hurt, as she was.  
"Sora." He replied, in a quiet voice. ".I'm sorry."  
She stopped crying, and paused, listening.  
He came up to her.  
"Sora, everyone is worried for you." He told her, as he put his arm on her shoulder, ".I understand that you have feelings for Biyomon.but it's not just her who wants your safety."  
Garurumon came by the side of the meadow, and watched them by the trees.  
  
"It's everyone." He told her, softly, ".Surely I have Gabumon to help me out.and you have Biyomon. And Izzy has Tentomon, and Mimi has Palmon."  
"But it's everyone's duty to watch over one and another, not just their digimon."  
She turned her head slightly to the left.  
"Surely Birdromon can fight for you, Sora.but it's all of us who have to protect you, and you us. I too, must do that."  
She turned to him, revealing her red eyes, and puffy face, looking into his.  
"Sora.don't worry." He told her, softly, and then told her in a slightly more determined tone, ".I promise.the next time we fight, or any time after that.I'll make sure that you and Biyomon are safe."  
She looked him, more deeply, and then back down. Her mouth was half open.  
"I promise." Matt told her again.  
She looked back at him.  
"Matt." She tried to say, but couldn't find the words.  
He smiled.  
She closed her eyes, and breathed out. And then, she embraced him. Matt, a bit surprised, put his arms around his waist. He held her warmly. Matt felt well that he could make her feelings better. Sora didn't say anything, but closed her eyes, and kept her head on his shoulder. They stood there, in the light of the rising sun.  
".Thank you." She whispered.  
  
Garurumon stood there, and watched. Peculiar creatures humans were. But within this, he saw something more. Something more than just nature, or the way things behave. Indeed he learned much from them. But this.this was something else. It was.something much greater.greater, too great to be classified. Something very powerful, and wise. What those two showed, was universal, and was beyond explanation. It didn't need it. Love was it's name, and Garurumon now saw what it was about.  
  
The two stood there, not saying a word.  
"Matt!" A yell came out of the woods.  
The two let go of each other, and looked into that direction.  
"Sora!" Biyomon cried, as she ran out from the trees, and towards her master.  
"Biyomon!" Sora cried in cheer, and ran to meet her partner. She then got on her knees, and the two met in an embrace.  
".Sora.where have you been?" The bird-like digimon asked her, as her wings were wrapped around Sora's skinny torso.  
".Oh, Biyomon." Sora said, as tears again started to flow from her eyes.  
"Matt, Sora!" Other people's voice came, and the whole gang showed up.  
"Where have you been, you guys?" Izzy asked, as he ran up to them.  
"Sora! It's you!" Mimi yelled, as she ran up to her, "What happened?"  
"." Sora raised her tear filled, shining eyes, ".Everything's all right now." She told her.  
"Oh." Mimi said with gladness, and sat near her. Everything was well now, and they were all together.  
Matt stood there, aside, with a determined smile on his face. He was glad everything was fixed. And felt great inside.  
Garurumon came near him.  
"Well done, friend." He told him.  
Matt, still smiling, nodded in return.  
  
That night, the party rested again. Everyone was glad that Sora was fine, and she was glad that she could return to them. But she also felt grateful for Matt. She was glad to have him for a friend. He helped her out so well.she couldn't express her gratitude. That boy was surely something. No wonder he held the Crest of Friendship.  
  
Matt sat by the fire, and watched it. So was everyone, but the main attention was on Sora now. He knew he played his part, and knew it was better to let others do theirs. He was the same Matt. Same cold, determined, and mysterious. Not cold in a bad way, but not open with other people. Sora wanted to know what he really was. But now she knew the caring side of him.  
Gabumon sat by his friend, and watched him. What a great example he was. He learned much from what he saw, and now knew the great person Matt was. There was great wisdom in this. Not wisdom of the stars, or of the ground.like the ones you see in nature. But wisdom you see in your feelings.and in people. .Hm. He thought. Matt had the Crest of Friendship, and Sora had the one of Love. Friendship and Love.don't the two usually go together? 


End file.
